A Team Effort to Improve Maternal and Child Health in Honduras

With support from USAID and the Honduran government, ChildFund is implementing a four-year maternal and child health program in Honduras. The goal is to decrease maternal, neonatal, infant and under-five child mortality rates, particularly in rural areas with little access to health services. We’re following the stories of mothers and children, traditional birth attendants and community health volunteers who are participating in the program and will be sharing those with you this week, and from time to time.

Suyapa does her house chores in Culguaque.

Suyapa, a young mother in her early 30s, lives in Culguaquel, a small community dedicated to cultivating coffee, which thrives in the cool climate. Located about 45 minutes away from the municipality of Lepaterique, Culguaquel is accessible by bus and car. Yet, there is no electricity in this community.

The mother of seven young children, Suyapa lives with her husband, José, in a small home, with adobe walls, a dirt floor and a tiled roof. Her husband, a day laborer, earns less than 50 cents per day, and Suyapa, who left school after first grade, stays home to care for the children and manage the household. Keeping up with five boys and two girls is no small amount of work. All of the children are enrolled in ChildFund programs, and two are sponsored.

Although her children are relatively healthy, Suyapa is happy to see more health services now coming to her community. She is attending educational sessions offered through ChildFund and its partner. “They tell me about my children’s nutrition [needs] and give me advice on how to care for them, and they receive vitamins,” she says.